


Stakes of the game

by storiesfortravellers



Category: White Collar
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Poker, gen - Freeform, smart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-09-18
Updated: 2011-09-18
Packaged: 2017-10-23 20:25:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/254624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/storiesfortravellers/pseuds/storiesfortravellers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For a prompt from Y at the Awesome Ladies of WC comm: A ladies' poker night with June, El, Sara, and Cindy (June's older granddaughter), getting a little cutthroat.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stakes of the game

Beneath the veneer of small talk, catching up, personal bonding,and the occasional raunchy debate - they had some raucous discussion in their game of "shag, marry, kill" that had them all cracking up - when they played poker, each of them played to win.

As it turned out, all four women were excellent strategists.

El was good at reading people - and they all knew it. But she preferred not to bluff, and wasn't too aggressive a player; she was happy to take the victories she really wanted and didn't worry about the rest.

Sara was aggressive in every hand and would bet just for the sake of not having to fold. But it was an advantage that sometimes they all thought she was bluffing, if she actually did have the cards.

Cindy pretended to be an inexperienced player, which fooled Sara for five minutes and the others not at all. Then, she played the game of the unpredictable, switching her style so often that the others couldn't ever get a fix on what she was holding.

June played like a gracious hostess until it was time to play the shark. She waited for the others to fixate on beating each other and then swept in for the kill. She only won a couple of hands, but they were always the ones with the most chips in the pot.

And as for their winnings at the end of the night?

El went home knowing that Cindy had helped Neal with a job and that June would choose Mozzie over Peter if it ever came down to it.

Sara figured out that June's private art collection did indeed - as Sara suspected - include some pieces with ... questionable paperwork. She also figured out that June was the type to cut Sara's career into shreds before letting Sara take what was hers. Sara didn't mind letting it go -- she liked June, and somehow liked here even more after seeing her teeth.

Cindy figured out that her grandmother did indeed know that she was in Ibiza while she was pretending to study art in Barcelona, and about some slight issues with the authorities on the island. When June was talking to Sara about Neal, Cindy also figured out that June wasn't just being kind all those times she looked the other way at Cindy's lying and taking-advantage-of-privilege; her grandmother wanted her loved ones to be fighters, survivors, more than she wanted them to be selfless. It began to explain why June had always favored her, when all her siblings and cousins seemed so much more deserving.

June figured out that El was genuine both about her affection for and her concerns about Mozzie. She also figured out that if Peter and Neal's relationship completely disintegrated, it would be El who decided how the end would play out. She pieced out that Sara was willing to be ruthless but was smart enough to know when not to be. And she figured out that Cindy, despite all appearances, might finally be ready to start being groomed for certain aspects of the family business.

And as for the money they each went home with? None of them cared enough to remember.


End file.
